Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1887-1890, 1887-06-18
OUR STOCK INTERESTS.
Bright Prospects for the Sick and
Sheep Industry.

Sheep Industry.
The present season promises to restore
our ranges to their original grandeur; and,
but for the presence of our herds and
flocks, Montana pasture lands would pre-
sent an appearance such as has not been
witnessed since the summer of 1878, and
even with the presence of our stock our
ranges are putting On a robe of luxuriant
green, the equal of which has not been
worn for number of years. The grass is
shooting forth with remarkable rapidity
on our valleys, hillsides and mountain
parks, and stock of all kinds are flourish
ing splendidly.
The young lambs, which are very num-
erous, are having royal time, while the
little colts and calves, though fewer in
number, are feastirg on the fat of the land.
Things are not so full of promise for those
who wish to sell as formerly; but as re-
CARDS the perpetuity of the stock industry,
all is WELL The country has experienced
a severe blow, but everything is most IA
vorable for a speedy recuperatlon from
the recent losses, and with the wonder
fully good range and the additional prep
arations for wintering herds which will
be made before the SHOWS of another Win
ter gather upon our mountains, we can
but regard the situation as encouraging
Rocky Mountain HusbanaanGn.
CATTLE FEEDING.
A new industry has sprung up in Ne
braska within the last year and half, OF
which people east of us know very little.
This new feature is stall feeding, and
there is no place where it is so successful
or carried on quite SO extensively as in
"NeWbraskey."
It was discovered in the close margin
of profit few years ago that it would pay
to take ranch-fed cattle and fatten them on
corr. A few farseeing operators went
into the business on small scale in Iowa
and Missouri few years ago. They made
money, but somehow nobody ever at
tempted the thing on large scale until
a few enterprising ranchmen in this state
saw their chance. The facts which sradu-
ally demonstrated the opportunity were
the increase in the corn crop and the dis
elimination at the Chicago stock yards
against grass-fed animals In 1879 Ne
bfaska was hardly thought OF in the list OF
corn states. In 1888 she raised 122,000,-
COO bushels, and in 1886 130,Oo0,0O0. This
showed that there was enough corn west
of the Missouri river to fatten cattle from
the ranges of Utah, Montana, Colorado,
and Wyoming. Iowa's corn yield had fall
len off and prices there Went up in local
markets, while in Nebraska they went
down. | am told by the manager OF one
of the largest feeding barns near Fremont
that his company paid last season but
eight cents bushel for corn raised on its
own ranch, and the highest paid for that
bought of neighboring farmers was thir-
teen cents. A bushel of corn will put ten
pounds of meat on a steer which will
bring three and four cents pound. The
profit in, the business rolls up when by
feeding a steer four months from 800 Ito
400 pounds of flesh are put on him.
omaha Herald
BETTER TIMES AHEAD.
The rangemen of the northwest and the
southwest have been suffering for many
severe trials the past few years. The
causes which have brought about these
hardships have been many, and among the
principal ones are the following:
1. Badly overstocked ranges.
2. Heavy losses caused by excessive
cold winters and excessive drouths.
3. Railroad and general labor strikes.
4. The general depression of trades
and industries all over the country.
5. Quarantines by all the northern sec
tions caused by the quack horse and COW
doctors styling themselves veterinary sur
geons.
6. Glut and demoralized foreign meat
markets. In 1879 and 1880, single export
buyers were shipping from 1000 to 1000
cattle every week. Now they only ship
from 300 to 500 cattle and find no profit in
the business. The pleuro- pneumonia
racket has been the cause of all this.
Z. The heaviest marketing Of beef cat.
tie ever known in like period.
s. The railroads running east from
Chicago have increased their rate DO per
cent on live cattle and 30 per cent on
dressed beef, making it cost the producers
from $1.25 to $3.50 per head. This in
crease is unjust and unreasonable and
through the medium of the interstate
commerce commission, we hope this ex-
tortion will soon be stopped.
Then the oleomargarine bill took off
$500 to $3.50 more, making the enormous
aggregate of more than fifteen millions of
dollars, and it all comes out of the pro-
ducers. To all this it may be added that
some believe the dressed beef shippers
have had much to do with bringing about
the present low prices.
We think better times for cattlemen are
not far distant; and that all those who
keep their herds under their own control
will be in a prosperous condition in the
near future is our firm belief.-C Chicago
D5ocer's Journal.
Presidential Pointers.